Improvement in needle-cases



S. R. DUMMER. Needle-Case.

Patented Feb. 25,1879.

N.PETERS, PH .I-JTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. C

UNITED-STATES ATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL R. DUMMER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN NEEDLE-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,545, dated February 25, 1879; application filed November 2, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL It. DUMMER, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Needle Gases and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide a case or receptacle for sewing-needles of such construction that it will deliver, at the pleasure of the operator, one or more needles of the desired size or number, and to furnish such device with an emery-case conveniently located and arranged for use.

To this end the invention consists in a closed case having its interior divided longitudinally into several compartments and its delivery end provided with perforations of different sizes, so that one perforation shall open into each interior compartment, in combination with an adjustable perforated cap arranged upon such delivery end; also, in the combination of the needle-case and deliverer, as decribed, and an emery-case, constructed substantially as described and claimed, located on the end of the case opposite the delivery end.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the needle-case and deliverer. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the delivery end of the same and the adjustable cap when the cap is removed, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the interior compartments and a sectional view of the emery-case when removed.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the needle-case, and is preferably cylindrical in form. a a, 850., are interior compartments extending throughout the length of the body A. These compartments are conveniently and cheaply made by bending strips of thin metal into V shape, and crowding them into proper position in the case, so that they will remain stationary. b Z), 850., are perforations in the delivery end of the body A, one of the perforations opening into each of the compartments a a, &c., near its V-shaped angle, and these perforations should be only slightly larger than the diameter of the needles designed to pass through them. This is an important feature of my invention, for this reason: As each of the several compartments contains needles of different sizes or diameters from those contained in any other compartment of the case, (the needles in any one compartment being of the same size or diameter,) it follows that if the perforations opening into the several compartments are of the same size and sufficiently large to permit the largest sized needles to pass, the smaller-sized needles would clog or wedge against each other, and their free delivery be obstructed. By making the perforation, opening into each compartment, only slightly larger than the diameter of the needles contained in such compartment this difficulty is obviated.

Bis an adjustable cap constructed to fit over and turn upon the delivery end of the body A. This cap is provided with a perforation, 0, so located that as the cap is turned around in either direction upon the end of the case it will uncover in succession each of the perforations b b, &c. The cap should be so made that it cannot be easily removed from the end of the body A, but can be readily turned around upon it.

The several compartments (0 a, &c., are designated by numbers on the body A, near its union with the cap B, to indicate the sizes or numbers of the needles contained in the respective compartments.

In the drawings the compartments are numbored 6, 7 S, and 9, for containing needles of the sizes known as sixes, sevens, eights, and nines. On the margin of the cap B is an indicator or pointer so located thatwhen by turning the cap it is made to point to any number on the body of the case, the perforation 0 will be brought directly over and uncover the perforation b, which opens into the compartment designated by the indicator. When the cap B is turned so that the indicator does not point to any of the numbers on the body A, the perforations b b, 850., will be closed.

Instead of dividing the body Ainto several compartments, it may constitute a single compartment, and its delivery end be provided with one or more perforations to be used in connection with the cap 13, as above described. In this construction only needles of a single size can be convenientl y used.

(3 represents the emery-case, and is a hollow cap closed at its farther end from the needlecase. It is provided with one or. more side openings, through which the needles can thrust for polishing. The emery inclosed in a proper wrapping is crowded into the open end of its case, and this case is then secured to the needle-case in any convenient way, as by brazing, soldering, or by screw-threads.

Instead of confining the emery in a bag closed by sewing, a cheaper and equally-desirable construction is to place it in a piece of cloth of the proper size and force it into the head of the case 0, and close the mouth of the case to prevent the emery from falling out by means of circular pieces of soft leather or paper or similar material, which can readily be forced into place by machinery, thereby firmly securing the emery in position, and at the same time affording a pad against which the points of the needles can strike without injury. This pad or cushion is designated by cl in the drawings. This confining-pad, if made of the proper material, will keep the points of the needles clean and bright. If, however, it is desired, the emery can be confined in a bag wholly closed by sewing, and can be forced into the head of the case so as to retain its position, in which case the points of the needles can come directly in contact with the wrapping of the emery.

The cases A and O and the cap B may be conveniently, cheaply, and rapidly made of sheet metal, and plated with nickel, silver, or gold, as desired.

The operation of the device is as follows: To fill the case, if the emery-case is easily removable, the various compartments can befilled at that end with needles of the sizes designated by the figures upon the case. The needles can, however, always be readily inserted at the delivery end by turning the cap 13 so as to uncover the several compartments. Care should be observed to always insert the needles into their designated compartments. The heads or eyes of the needles should always be toward the delivery end and their points toward the emery-case, so that there can be no clogging at the perforations in their delivery. The compartments should not be filled to more than one-half or two-thirds of their capacity.

To deliver one or more needles of any required size, turn the cap B in either direction until the indicator points to the required size or number, bring the case into nearly an upright position with the delivery end down, and slightly turn the case between the fingers, and the needles will appear, one or more, as desired. The emery-case can be used by thrustin g the needles directly through the opposite openings in the case or laterally through the wrapper of the emery of the larger opening.

Needle-cases constructed with equal-sized perforations opening from one end of the case into each of several interior compartments, and this perforated end covered by an adjustable cap having a single perforation, are shown in Patents N 0. 100,879, granted March 15, 1870, and No. 142,639, granted September 9, 1878.

I do not, therefore, claim. such construction, broadly, but limit my invention in this particular to a case in which the end perforations are of different sizes to allow the different-sized needles free delivery from the several compartments.

What' is claimed as new is- 1. In a needle-case one of whose eudsisprovided with different-sized perforations, substantially as set forth, opening into interior compartments, the combination of such perforated end and an adjustable perforated cap. whereby the needles can be inserted into and delivered from the case, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a needle-case and deliverer, constructed substantially as described, and an emery-case provided with the pad 61, when arranged to operate substantial] y as and for the purpose set forth.

SAM L. R. I) UMMER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT H. DUNCAN, BENJ. A. SMITH. 

